Staying on Track

Staying on Track

In the early 2000s, local breweries began popping up where no food or drink establishments dared to open before. Light industrial areas, warehouse districts and other commercial spots where rent was cheap and square footage plentiful became destinations for a new generation of brewer.

One of Sacramento’s first such breweries was Track 7 Brewing Company, which opened in 2011. The award-winning beer-maker set up shop in a “roll-up door” strip of industrial shops near the train tracks adjacent to Sacramento City College.

The Waterboy Carryout Review

The Waterboy Carryout Review

Our family has been picking up East Sac’s One Speed pizzas and salads to go for dinners. I often thought of The Waterboy, chef Rick Mahan’s shuttered elegant Midtown restaurant.

Much to my delight in my in-box this week was news and details of their new Pop-Up Weekend Gourmet Dinners to go.

Fido & Farmers

Fido & Farmers

It’s a brisk Sunday morning and the farmers market at 8th and W streets is already alive with a confluence of characters. Young families with strollers, college students in knitted sweaters and loyal patrons carrying baskets all buzz from booth to booth collecting organic acorn squash, cage-free brown eggs and lightly bruised oranges.

A young man and woman meander down the center corridor doting over a heap of broccoli with a wagging corgi in tow on a short leash. Passersby gesture to the sandy-colored dog with giddy chuckles and small gasps of amusement. When a balding gentleman in jeans and a plaid jacket strides up and gently pushes a piece of paper into the man’s hand, they all smile politely.

Changes in Latitudes

Changes in Latitudes

UC Davis’ newest restaurant provides the community with one of the most unique university dining experiences. The minds and mouths making the decisions in dining services are nurturing an environment of hand-picked, hyper-local ingredients and flavorful, international dishes in all campus dining—especially in its newest addition, Latitude Restaurant and Market.

Latitude focuses on the diversity of its community by serving scratch-made cuisine from regions around the world. “Our goal is making dining the least stressful and most enjoyable part of the day,” says Kraig Brady, director of dining services.

Glad to be Back

Glad to be Back

I’ve lived in Sacramento for almost 40 years, so I’ve been to Celestin’s Restaurant. It seems like a fact of life for any long-term diner in this town—if you’ve been around for more than two decades, you’ve eaten at Celestin’s.

You might have dined at the J Street location, where Patrick Celestin and his wife Phoebe held court starting in 1983. That same space became the first home of Kru Contemporary Japanese Cuisine, by the way. If my spatial geography is on point, I believe that same space is now the tiki bar extraordinaire, The Jungle Bird.

Seasonal Bounty

Seasonal Bounty

Think back to 2006. What do you think Sacramento saw itself as nearly a decade and a half ago? Where did you see Sacramento’s dining scene? Was farm-to-fork even on your radar?

In 2006, Heather Fargo sat as mayor, Kevin Martin led the kings in scoring and Patrick Mulvaney had a clear-eyed vision of what made the dining scene in Sacramento special. He recognized our rich agricultural legacy and year-round seasonal bounty, things we locals took for granted, as unique and something to be celebrated.